


Knit Me a Memory

by debwalsh



Series: Bingo-Bingo [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bemused Bruce Banner, Fluff, Fluff Bingo, Knitting, M/M, Sassy Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 20:55:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16647620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/debwalsh/pseuds/debwalsh
Summary: Bruce Banner stumbles upon the fabled Winter Soldier sitting in the communal lounge, knitting away, faster than the eye can see.Just what is he doing, and what is he making?For the “knitting something for you” fluff bingo square, for CJ.





	Knit Me a Memory

**Author's Note:**

> My patron CJ chose this prompt from a generic Fluff Bingo card i’d shared on my Patreon, so I had a go, and ended up kinda having a blast with it.

Bruce had definitely been spending too much time with Tony. Like, way too much time. More time than was healthy for, like a normal human. Definitely more than someone who turned into a big green rage monster should.

But it really did sound like two of Tony’s bots having a rapid fire duel with with sharp objects.

Bruce shook his head. In Tony’s lab, sure. That sort of thing could happen. But in the communal space? Not even Dum-E could get that lost.

Bruce stepped gingerly toward the lounge area, peering cautiously around the corner before committing himself to the act. Generally speaking, he had things under control. But you never knew when some malicious entity or construct might impose its will upon the universe to trigger the Hulk.

Seriously, when your name is Bruce Banner, there literally is no such thing as too careful.

“Y’might as well come in, I can hear you breathing,” called a voice, and Bruce found himself inexplicably relaxing.

Because the idea of Bucky Barnes, the Winter Soldier, playing with sharp objects was such a soothing concept.

Just what was his life, Bruce wondered.

“Um, hi, Bucky. Didn’t realize you were up here. Get tired of Steve’s ugly mug already?”

“Pffft. Nearly a hundred years, and I can still stomach it. Don’t think that’s ever gonna wear off. Nah, just needed a change of scene. My therapist has been trying to tell me that Steve and me are co-dependent. Which, if it was anybody but us, I’d say, sure. But it is us, so I say so what? Anyway, take a load off. Could do with some intelligent conversation that doesn’t end up with somebody having a dick in their mouth.”

“Um, yeah. Wow. That was weirdly specific and I don’t think I can ever look Steve in the face again,” Bruce agreed as he came around the sofa and finally saw what was making that sinister noise.

Bucky was knitting. Faster than the eye could track, muted silver and flesh wielded two pink plastic knitting needles and a fall of soft variegated pastel yarn.

Bruce tentatively lowered himself on the couch at the opposite end, mesmerized by the blur of color.

“Um, what’re you making?”

“Well, I was thinking of making Steve one of those dick holster things,” Bucky shrugged as he maintained speed.

“Dick holster?” Bruce choked.

“Yeah. You know - it’s a thong thing that just holds the goods. Barely.” Bucky stopped then, holding the whole project in his metal hand while he distanced his flesh hand, first a few inches, then more, then a whole lot more. “But, you know? For Steve - that’d be a whole helluva lotta yarn,” Bucky added with a grin.

Bruce’s brain threatened to quit then as he stared open-mouthed at the space - the prodigious space - between Bucky’s hands. He gulped, blinked, and desperately searched for an image to wipe his brain. He zeroed in on Bucky’s metal hand.

“Is that ... is that a surgical glove?”

“Yeah, swiped it from your lab,” Bucky admitted proudly, dropping his knitting into his lap so he could show off his sheathed hand. “Yarn catches between the plates otherwise. Smooth sailing with this. I grabbed a box. You don’t mind, do you?” he turned an earnestly contrite expression on Bruce.

Bruce huffed a laugh and shook his head. “It’s on Tony’s dime. I doubt it’d show up in an audit.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Besides, these are really nice for applying lube,” Bucky added with a chuckle as he took up his knitting again. “Thin enough no loss of sensation, but hey, no lube in the plates!”

“Uh ... that’s great?”

“You betcha!”

Bruce was starting to regret ever coming to this level, and cursed himself as he blurted out, “So what is it you’re making?”

“Well, I thought about a grenade cozy. And then I realized that would slow down launch of, y’know, the grenade. Then I thought, hey, nice pouch for my favorite knife! But blood’s a bitch to wash out of a knitted anything - too many surfaces. And then -“

“Hey Buck, there you are!” Steve greeted, walking confidently into the lounge. Bruce glanced up, glad of the distraction, and was once again struck at the way Steve Rogers came to the surface whenever Bucky Barnes was around. The soft smile, the crinkled eyes, the aura of affection and, well, home, that he exuded. Of happiness. And Bucky turned and beamed the same right back at him.  

“Hey, Sugarlips. Nice workout?”

“Yeah. That Parker kid’s a handful. Always gives me a run for my money. And hey, Bruce - Peter was heading up to your lab to check in. Said you guys were collaborating on a project?”

“Oh, yeah. He’s an amazing intellect, if a bit excitable. Thanks, Steve, I’ll, uh, I’ll just -“ Bruce started to get up.

“I’d be happy to teach you,” Bucky said suddenly.

“What?”

“Knitting. It’s good for stress, Calming. Productive. We used to do it at the Front,” Bucky shrugged.

“You did?” Bruce asked, intrigued despite himself.

It was Steve who answered. “Yeah. Passed the time, kept our minds off the, well, the fear. And when your feet were freezing in German mud, that extra pair of socks you knitted yourself? Worth its weight in gold.” He leant down and planted a kiss on the crown of Bucky’s head. “Looking good, babe. Think you’ll have it ready in time for the shower?”

“Shower?” Bruce repeated.

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t get around to telling ya. This? This is a baby blanket. ‘Cos this sap asked me to make it for him.”

“Us. I asked you to make it for us. To give to Sally in accounting for her baby shower,” Steve protested, flicking Bucky’s ear with his index finger. To Bruce, he added, “Bucky makes the nicest baby blankets and christening clothes. All the ladies at the knitting group can’t get over how nice his stitches are.”

“Yeah, okay. So, James, I might take you up on that offer,” Bruce said, chuckling, his day made immeasurably brighter by the mental image of the fabled Winter Soldier surrounded by avid knitters cooing over his baby blankets.

He made his way toward the elevator, and grinned broadly when he overheard Bucky grumble to Steve, “Way to go, punk. Totally blew my rep, there.”

“Can’t help it if you’re a sap, Buck. At least you’re my sap.”

“You bet I am. Now gimme some sugar, sugar,” was the last thing Bruce heard as the elevator door slid shut.

&&&

**Author's Note:**

> You can view my Fluff Bingo card on my Tumblr account at http://debwalsh.tumblr.com and search for “fluff bingo card” to see the card and posts about the prompts. Feel free to send me an ask to request a specific prompt off the card.
> 
> And don’t forget to subscribe to me and/or the Bingo-Bingo series to get notified when I add another prompt to the pile!


End file.
